Foreign ships threaten to boycott Saudi ports
Published: Jul 24, 2010 23:34 Updated: Jul 24, 2010 23:34
DAMMAM: Owners of foreign ships have threatened to boycott Saudi ports and use other Gulf ports if the current crisis in unloading cargo at Dammam’s King Abdul Aziz Port continues unabated.
The ship owners said some ships have had to wait up to three weeks, and in some cases an entire month, to unload cargo, something they say is resulting in huge costs. They, along with shipping agents and businessmen, have called on Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry, who is also chairman of the General Ports Authority, to intervene and resolve the crisis, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported on Saturday.
The ship owners are blaming companies engaged in unloading sea cargo for the current stalemate. Most companies at the port are facing labor shortage and have been unable to deal with the sudden increase in workload due to the summer and upcoming Ramadan.
Abdullah Al-Hamad, deputy director of the port, has set up a working team to follow up on the situation and resolve the crisis.
“The committee has already held several rounds of talks with ship owners and unloading company representatives. A solution for the problem is expected to be reached shortly,” said one source at the port.
A group of traders and customs clearance offices had recently threatened legal action against Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) for delayed container shipments from Dammam to Riyadh.
They revealed plans to file a complaint with the Court of Grievances seeking compensation from SRO for losses they incurred due to its failure to promptly process containers stuck at Dammam port.

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